Fuzhou, China, April 24, 2013 – Back-to-back Qualification Tournament wins from England's Zara Dampney and Lucy Boulton’s secured them a spot in the Fuzhou Open women's Main Draw after defeating top seeded qualifiers Maria Clara Salgado Rufino and Carolina Solberg Salgado from Brazil on Wednesday.

Dampney and Boulton successfully made it through their first qualification match in the morning beating Galindo Andrea and Galindo Claudia of Colombia 21-16, 21-15. In a difficult draw the new British pairing then faced the Brazilian top seeds, but emerged triumphant securing themselves a Main Draw position 21-16, 21-19.

Against the odds

Dampney and Boulton are no strangers to performing on the international stage having played with different partners since 2007. Even when they did play together in 2008 they're best result was 17th while they're first foray on the FIVB scene at the Junior World Championships saw them finish 37th. Their new partnership proved a good match during their first FIVB outing in 2013 against the experienced Brazilians.

“Feel really good just buzzing really, obviously the top seed in the qualifier, we knew it was a tough draw when we got it last night," Boulton said. “But we’ve been working really hard in this pre-season and we’re a new team so there’s always stuff to work on and we really delivered today so we're really pleased.

“When we were at breakfast people were asking us who have you got next and when we saidBrazil I said to Zara, I don’t think anyone is really expecting us to win. But we knew we had it in us as we’ve been working really hard and today it paid off.”

Point for point

In a point for point match against Germany’s Jana Köhler and Anni Schumacher, Poland’s Kinga Kolosinska and Monika Brzostek managed to hold for the win(19-21, 21-19, 19-17) as the rain drops began to fall in Fuzhou.

Earlier in the day the Polish women beat China’s Chen Chunxia and Wei Zhaochen (19-21, 21-16, 15-7) with the day’s success earning them a spot in the Main Draw.

“We are really lucky that we made it," Brzostek said. "It was really tough to play here especially against this team, because in former matches we were losing all the time. We are really happy, happy and one more happy.

“We wanted to for sure qualify for the Main Draw and we did it so right now we need to focus on the Main Draw matches. Keep your fingers crossed that we do well.”

The result means Kolosinska and Brzostek along with Dampney and Boulton make up two of the eight teams that progress into the Main Draw which begins on Thursday.

Fuzhou, capital of the Fujian province lies on the southeast coast of mainland China and hosts the Open event for the first time. The city held the AVC Beach Volleyball Continental Cup in 2012 where Taliqua Clancy was part of the winning Australian team.

The Fuzhou Open is the first of eight Open events during a bumper nine-month season, which also includes the FIVB World Tour – 10 Grand Slams and the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Stare Jablonki, Poland.

The Shanghai Grand Slam is the next tournament on the calendar running from April 30 to May 5.